Wire pulling apparatus

ABSTRACT

A portable wire cart for transporting a plurality of wire coils and dispensing wire from the coils, which includes a plurality of horizontally positioned, detachable, rotatable, circular base members, to support the wire coils, independently mounted on the cart&#39;&#39;s frame structure. Detachably positioned over each base member is a circular guide member to hold the wire coils in place. The wire cart is adapted for use in a vertical position, and wire may be independently added or drawn from any of a plurality of coils which may be placed on the cart.

United States Patent [191 Bennett et al.

[ WIRE PULLING APPARATUS [76] Inventors: Joseph J. Bennett, 6440 W.163rd Pl., Tinley Park, 111. 60477; Alvin A.

Trapp, 9717 S. Melina, Oaklawn, 111. 60453 [22] Filed: May 30, 1972 [21]Appl. N0.: 258,187

52] US. Cl. 242/86.5 R, 242/129 5 1 Int. Cl B65h 75/40, B65h 49/00 58]Field of Search..... 242/86.5 R, 118.61, 118.62,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 864,063 8/1907 Bauer 242/118.61 1,510,456 10/1924 Cadwalder... 248/129 X 3,134,555 5/1964 Baker242/86.5 R 3,497,156 2/1970 Cocker 242/118.62

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 124,1 [9 4/1947 Australia 248/129 [1113,831,877 [451 Aug. 27, 1974 Primary Examiner-John W. Huckert AssistantExaminer-John M. Jillions Attorney, Agent, or FirmMolinare, Allegretti,Newitt & Witcoff [5 7 ABSTRACT A portable wire cart for transporting aplurality of wire coils and dispensing wire from the coils, whichincludes a plurality of horizontally positioned, detachable, rotatable,circular base members, to support the wire coils, independently mountedon the carts frame structure. Detachably positioned over each basemember is a circular guide member to hold the wire coils in place. Thewire can is adapted for use in a vertical position, and wire may beindependently added or drawn from any of a plurality of coils which maybe placed on the cart.

7 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures l WIRE PULLING APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION This invention relates to winding and reeling carriers and, inparticular, to a hand-operated, portable carrier for wire reels.

Electrical contractors frequently purchase wire in large coils, i.e.,500 ft., packaged in cardboard cartons. Wire is dispensed from thesecartons fromthe center which frequently results in the formation ofkinks in the wire. These kinks interfere with pulling the wire throughconduits and must often be straightened or cut out of the length ofwire. This results in a considerable loss of time and wire onconstruction projects. However, if wire is pulled from the perimeter ofthe coil, these kinks are substantially eliminated.

Electricians also frequently utilize wires of several different colorcodes, sizes or types on one job. This wire is often supplied in reelsor boxes which have considerable weight and are very difficult for anindividual to transport. Further, the electrician must pull severaldifferent wires from different reels or boxes at one time, particularly,when working on large industrial projects. For these reasons, it isdifficult for an electrician to physically carry and dispense thedifferent types of wire required in different locations on aconstruction project.

To accommodate the electrician in his work and to partially solve theproblems associated with transporting a number of wire spools anddrawing wires from a plurality of sources, the art has devised variousportable wire reel supports for transporting several wire reels. In US.Pat. No. 2,705,114 there is disclosed a reel-carrying rack for carryinga plurality of reels. In this portable rack, the reels are verticallypositioned on the rack and, asa consequence, the wire can be drawn fromthe rack in only one, forward, horizontal direction. If the wire isdrawn from the reels at angle sideways from the cart, the wire-pullingoperation may tip the cart. Further, while each wire reel in thisreference can be independently removed and replaced without interferencefrom adjacent reels, for a reel to be re moved, the entire reel assemblymust be dismounted consuming and inconvenient to remove several reels inorder to merely replace the wire on one depleted wire reel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVEN'IION It is an object of this invention to provide aportable wire cart for transporting a plurality of wire spools which iseasily transportable and which can be, for example, wheeled up and downstairs.

It is another object of this invention to provide a portable wire cartwhich can be used in a stable vertical position wherein the wire can beremoved from horizontally-positioned wire support reels in severalhorizontal directions.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a portable wire carthaving a plurality of wire support reels wherein each wire support reelis independent of the other support reels, and wherein wire canbe'placed from the cart. In other words, to place a new coil of wire onan empty reel requires the removal of the entire reel assembly. This istime consuming and inconvenient.

In US. Pat. Nos. 2,965,327; 3,072,357 and 3,134,555, there is disclosedother means for supporting and transporting a plurality of wire reels.In these devices, the wire is dispensed from the reels, when the supportcart is in a generally horizontal position. Accordingly, when the cartis used to dispense wire, it occupies a considerable amount of space ona construction project because of its horizontal position. Inconstruction projects wherein space is at a premium, this is a veryserious drawback in these reel carts.

Further, in the cart illustrated in US. Pat. No. 3,072,357 eachintermediate wire reel assembly is physically supported on a lower reelassembly and also supports a superimposed, upper reel assembly. When onereel is depleted of wire, it cannot be replaced or removed withoutdisturbing all of the other reels. Because, on typical constructionprojects, varying amounts of wire are drawn from different reels, andthe reels run out of wire at different times, it becomes time on eachsupport reel without completely removing the entire support reel fromthe cart. It is another object of this invention to provide a portablewire cart wherein a wire support reel can be placed on the wire cart ina ready, facile manner.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a portable wire cartwherein there is utilized a wire support reel having two readilydetachable, circular members.

It is a limited object of this invention to provide a portable wire cartand reel assembly wherein the wire support reels include a detachableadaptor to be attached to a support reel when removed from the cart tofacilitate the winding of wire on the support reel.

In an embodiment, therefore, the present invention relates to a portablewire cart for transporting wire coils or spools and dispensing wire fromthe coils or spools, which comprises a frame structure having a pair ofspaced-apart, generally vertical side members. Extending between theseside members in a parallel, spaced-apart relationship, are a pluralityof superimposed, horizontal cross members. A horizontal support memberand awheel member are positioned on the bottom of the frame structure tosupport the cart in a vertical positionas wire is drawn therefrom. Thehorizontal support member and the wheel member are positioned inopposite relation to each other to provide support for the cart oneither side of the frame structure. The wire coils or spools are placedon a detachable, rotatable, bottom, circular base member which ispositioned horizontally on each cross member. This bottom base memberhas a vertically extending center hub to receive the wire coils orspools and to further receive a detachable top circular guide memberwhich is detachably connected to the base member and guides the wiredispensed from the wire coils placed on the bottom base. In thisportable wire cart, the wire may-be dispensed from the cart when thecart is in a vertical position. Further, the wire coils or spools can beindependently placed on the cart without disturbing other coils alreadypositioned thereon. In addition, wire can be placed on the removablewire wheel assembly without removing all of the component parts of thewheel assembly from the cart.

In a further more limited embodiment, the removable wire wheel assemblyincludes an adaptor having a neck portion and a base portion. The baseportion can be detachably connected to the bottom of the base member ofthe wire wheel assembly when that member is removed from the cart. Theneck portion of the adaptor is adapted for engagement to a suitablerotating power source whereby wire from large spools can be wound ontothe circular bottom base in a ready manner.

Other objects, embodiments, and a more detailed description of thepresent invention will be found in the following detailed description ofthe present invention with reference to the appended drawings. It shouldbe understood, however, that the figures and embodiments described andillustrated herein are not limiting on the generally broad scope of thepresent invention but, rather, merely illustrate a preferred embodimentthereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1, is a perspective view of theinventive wire pulling apparatus witha wire reel mounted thereon;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the bottom base wheel;

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevational view of the bottom base wheel takenalong section line 3 3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the top guide wheel;

FIG. 5 is a sectional elevational view of the top guide wheel takenalong section line 55 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an adaptor which can, be positioned on the bottom side ofbottom base wheel to wind wire thereon;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the adaptor taken along section line 7-7 ofFIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional elevational view of an alternative embodiment ofthe bottom base wheel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to FIG. 1, there isillustrated a perspective view of the inventive wire pulling apparatus 1having mounted thereon wire reel assembly 36. Wire pulling apparatus 1comprises a generally flat, horizontal, forward extending bottom baseportion 2 and a bottom backward extending base portion 3. Base portion 3is also horizontal and has extending upwardly therefrom an upturnedportion 4. Uptumed portion 41 provides support for wheels 5 mounted androtatable around axle 6. Horizontal base portions 2 and 3 provide astable support .for the wire pulling apparatus, and allows wire to bepulled therefrom in a variety of horizontal and vertical directionswhile the apparatus is in avertical position. The upturned portion 4raises the wheel 5 off the ground when apparatus 1 is in a true verticalposition, thereby further ensuring a stable vertical position. Theapparatus, however, may be readily moved from onepoint to another simplyby tilting the apparatus backward onto upturned portion 4 and wheels 5and pushing the apparatus forward. Bottom base portion 2 preferablycomprieses a rectangular planar surface so that the apparatus can alsofunction as a portablehand cart of a type well known'to those trained inthe art when wheel assemblies 36 are not positioned on the cart.lnterconnecting upturned portion 4 and an intermediate point of sidebrace members 7 is a brace and guide member 38. Member 38 lendsstructural support to base 3 and side brace 7 and, more importantly,provides a guide surface on which cart 1 can rest when it is transportedup and down stairs. Guide member 38 allows the cart to be graduallylowered or raised from one step to another in a smooth continuous mannerrather than by a sudden jerky movement.

Side brace members 7 are connected to bottom base portion 2 byinterconnecting braces 8. Braces '7 and 8 can be manufactured fromsquare, hollow, metallic stock on hollow, circular, metallic tubes.Handles 9 connected to the upper portions of side braces 7 provide aready means for hand-propelling the wire pulling apparatus, when tippedback on wheels 5. Horizontally positioned cross braces 10 interconnectwith and are supported by side braces 7 and provide a support forvertical mount 11 which coacts with wheel assembly 36. Preferably, sidebraces 7 are in a spacedapart vertical, parallel relation. However, itis within the scope of this invention to have side braces 7 tapered inan upward, generally vertical, extending direction from bottom baseportions 2 and 3. This allows the installation of varying-sized wirewheel assemblies on the wire pulling apparatus. For example,large-diameter wire wheel assemblies could be placed on the bottomportion of the apparatus, with smaller-diameter assemblies placed on theupper portion.

Wire wheel or reel assembly 36 comprises a bottom support wheel 12 and atop guide wheel 13. Positioned between wheels 12 and 13, in a manner tobe more fully described later, is a wire spool 14 formed by a length ofwire 14a. Guide wheel 13 prevents wire 14a from creeping over the top ofspool 14. Typically, wheels 12 and 13 are of equal diameter and are ofsufficient dimension to support a 500 ft. wire spool. Wire guide eyelet15 positioned on side brace 7 provides a 'guide for the wire 14a as itis dispensed from wire spool 14. However, .wire 14a, as it is dispensedfrom wire spool 14, need not pass through guide eyelet 15. In fact, incertain embodiments, it is particularly advantageous not to use guideeyelet 15 since the wire, because of the horizontal orientation of wheelassembly 36, can be pulled horizontally from assembly 36 in a widevariety of horizontal directions without disturbing the verticalstability of the wire pulling apparatus 1. For example, wire 14a couldbe pulled either forward, to the left, or to the right, without movingthe entire apparatus. This is especially advantageous in largeconstruction jobs wherein an electrician must pass wire through a numberof conduits which are positioned at different portions in a room. Theelectrician can proceed essentially laterally across the entire room,pulling wire from wire spool 14, without changing the position of theapparatus.

Bottom support wheel 12 is more fully illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3.Bottom support wheel 12 comprises an outer rim l6 and a central hub 18,said central hub 18 interconnected to rim 16 by spokes 17. Vertical,-tapered ridges 37 on the side of hub 18 provides a generalfrustroconical shape to the hub and aid in positioning wire coils on thehub. Positioned in the center of hub 18 is a circular opening 19 havinga pair of spacedapart, generally vertical grooves or slots 20 whichinterconnect with lower, generally horizontal grooves or slots 21, whichextend around part of the perimeter of opening 19. Vertical groove orslot 20 and horizontal groove or slot 21 form internal shoulder 21a andproduce a locking lug opening which cooperate with top guide wheel 13 ina manner to be described below to interconnect wheels 12 and 13. Centeropening 22 on the bottom of bottom support wheel 12 provides a means formounting support wheel 12 on verticalmount 1 1. In other words, supportwheel 12 is mounted on wire pulling apparatus 1 by the engagement ofvertical mount or finger 11 with center opening 22. Center opening 22can contain a bushing or top cover (not illustrated) to accommodatefinger 11.

Top support or guide wheel 13 is illustrated in detail in FIGS. 4 and 5.Guide wheel 13 comprises an outer rim 30 and a center hub 32, saidcenter hub 32 interconnected to rim 30 by spokes 31. Center hub 32 hasan opening 33 therein and has positioned on the lower portion thereof apair of spaced-apa1t shoulders 34 which form a pair of locking lugs tocoact with bottom wheel 12. Particularly, shoulders 34 are adapted toengage vertical groove and horizontal groove 21 of bottom support wheel12. More particularly, top support wheel 13 is engaged with bottomsupport wheel 12 by inserting bottom neck 32a of center hub 32 intoopening 19 of central'hub 18. Shoulders 34'are positioned to engagevertical groove 20 thereby allowing bottom neck'32a to descend intoopening 19. When bottom neck 32a reaches near the bottom of opening 19,shoulder 34 reaches the bottom of groove 21) and the opening of groove21 and top guide wheel 13 is turned whereby shoulders 34 engagehorizontal groove 21 which is of a greater diameter than opening 19.

Shoulder 34 thus engages shoulder 21a formed in hub 18 by groove 21.This provides a very firm interlocking between top guide wheel 13 andbottom support wheel 12. If desired, biasing means, (not shown), can beplaced in opening 19 to force an intimate contact between shoulders 34and 21a. However, bottom neck 32a and shoulders 34, as well as opening19 and grooves 20 and 21, can be machined to ensure a close and thoroughattachment of wheels 12 and 13. As illustrated, a pair of locking lugsare used. However, it is within the scope of this invention to utilize asingle lug or three or more lugs and complementary lug openings.

Illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 is a winding attachment 25 comprising a topflange or base portion 26 and a center rod or neck portion 27, mountedperpendicular to flange 26. Unthreaded guide rods 28 and threaded bolt29 are positioned on the front face of top flange 26. Winding attachment25 is connected to the bottom portion of bottom support wheel 12 byinserting center rod 27 into center opening 22, with guide rods 28engaging unthreaded side holes 23. Threaded bolt 29 is then threadedinto threaded hole 24 in the base of bottom support wheel 12, to providea firm connection between winding attachment 25 and wheel 12. Windingattachment 25 allows wire wheel assembly 36 to be mounted on a rotatingpower source, such as a powered rotating chuck, and allows anelectrician to wind wire onto support wheel 12. Thus, an electricalcontractor may purchase wire in large lots, such as 10,000-foot reels,which can be transferred to wire wheel assembly 36 in approximately 500to 1,000-foot coiled sections. In other words, as wire wheel assembly 36rotates on a rotating power source, (not illustrated), wire can be Iwound onto the wheel assembly 36 from a large supply source. Thisenables the electrical contractor to purchase wire on a less-expensive,larger-volume basis, yet retain all the benefits and convenience ofshorterlength wire spools.

In FIG. 8 there is illustrated an alternative form of bottom supportwheel 12. In this embodiment, wheel 12 is identical to that constructionillustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, with the exception that there is provideda vertical extension 35 positioned on the bottom side of wheel 12. Wheel12 is then mounted on cross braces 10 1 or stored.

The wire pulling apparatus illustrated is sturdy and lightweight and hassufficient mobility to be wheeled up and down stairs. More importantly,the unit is always used in a vertical position, thus using a minimum offloor space under already crowded construction conditions. Further, eachof the wire wheel assemblies mounted on the cart are separate andindependent, and wire can be removed or replaced on each wheel assemblywithout interference from adjacent assemblies. Even further, when wireis to be replaced on a given wheel assembly, all of the component partsneed not be removed from the complete wire pulling apparatus. Forexample, referring to FIG. 1, when wire spool 14 becomes empty, topguide-wheel 13 can be removed from bottom support wheel 12. A new wirereel is then placed on support wheel 12 without removing the wheel fromthe. wire cart. Similarly, support wheel 12 or the entire wheel assembly36 can be removed from cross braces 10, by simply lifting the wheel 12off of vertical mount 11. Since the unit is always in a verticalposition, whether being transported or used in dispensing wire, the unitrequires no gears, brackets, clamps or similar attaching devices tosecure the wire wheel assemblies to the push cart.

We claim as our invention:

1. A portable wire cart for transporting wire coils and dispensing wirefrom the coils, which comprises, in combination:

a. a frame structure having a pair of spaced-apart,

generally vertical, side members;

b. a plurality of superimposed, horizontal crossmembers extendingbetween said side members in a parallel, spaced-apart relation;

c. a horizontal support member positioned on the bottom of the framestructure, adapted to support the cart in a vertical position;

(1. wheel members positioned on the bottom of the frame structure inopposite relation to the support member, adapted to support the cart ina vertical position and to provide means for transporting the C311; 1

e. a plurality of removable wire reel assemblies each assemblyseparately supported above a horizontal cross member and comprising:

i. a detachable, rotatable, bottom circular base member having anopening in the bottom thereof;

ii. said bottom base member having a vertical extending center hubportion to receive a wire coil; and

iii. a detachable, top circular guide member detachably connected to thehub of said bottom base member to guide wire dispensed from the wirecoil placed on the bottom base member;

I". each assembly separately supported above a horizontal cross memberby a generally vertically extending support finger rigidly afiixed toeach of said cross members and attached to said cross members at onlyone end of said finger and adapted to engage the opening in the basemember of each assembly, the distance between the free end of eachsupport finger and each horizontal support member sufficient to allowthe top circular guide member to be removable from the cart when thecart is in a vertical position without the necessity of removing thebottom base member, said cart characterized by the ability to dispensewire from the cart when the cart is in a vertical position.

2. A wire cart as in claim 1, wherein a guide eyelet is positioned onsaid frame structure and is adapted to guide wire dispensed from a wirereel.

3. A wire cart as in claim 1, wherein said wheels are positioned on awheel support member having a horizontal front portion connected to saidframe and an upward-turned back portion adapted to support said wheelsoff the ground when the cart is in a vertical position.

4. A wire cart as in claim ll, wherein a handle is positioned on saidframe for moving said cart.

5. A wire cart as in claim 1, wherein said center hub of the bottom basemember has a circular opening in the center thereof, said openingincluding a vertical groove extending inwardly from the top of the hub,and a horizontal groove communicating with the vertical groovepositioned below the top of the circular opening, having a diametergreater than said opening; and, wherein said top guide member has acircular, elongated, center hub positioned on the bottom portion of theguide member, adapted for placement in the top of the opening in thebase hub, said elongated hub having a shoulder extension positionedthereon, said shoulder extension adapted to engage both the verticalgroove and the horizontal groove of the bottom base hub and todetachably connect the respective circular member by placement of thetop guide hub within the bottom support hub and to rotatably connect thehubs.

6. A wire cart as in claim 1, wherein said bottom, circular member andtop, circular member comprise a spoked wheel.

7. A wire cart as in claim 1, wherein said circular base and guidemember are of equal diameters.

1. A portable wire cart for transporting wire coils and dispensing wirefrom the coils, which comprises, in combination: a. a frame structurehaving a pair of spaced-apart, generally vertical, side members; b. aplurality of superimposed, horizontal cross members extending betweensaid side members in a parallel, spaced-apart relation; c. a horizontalsupport member positioned on the bottom of the frame structure, adaptedto support the cart in a vertical position; d. wheel members positionedon the bottom of the frame structure in opposite relation to the supportmember, adapted to support the cart in a vertical position and toprovide means for transporting the cart; e. a plurality of removablewire reel assemblies each assembly separately supported above ahorizontal cross member and comprising: i. a detachable, rotatable,bottom circular base member having an opening in the bottom thereof; ii.said bottom base member having a vertical extending center hub portionto receive a wire coil; and iii. a detachable, top circular guide memberdetachably connected to the hub of said bottom base member to guide wiredispensed from the wire coil placed on the bottom base member; f. eachassembly separately supported above a horizontal cross member by agenerally vertically extending support finger rigidly affixed to each ofsaid cross members and attached to said cross members at only one end ofsaid finger and adapted to engage the opening in the base member of eachassembly, the distance between the free end of each support finger andeach horizontal support member sufficient to allow the top circularguide member to be removable from the cart when the cart is in avertical position without the necessity of removing the bottom basemember, said cart characterized by the ability to dispense wire from thecart when the cart is in a vertical position.
 2. A wire cart as in claim1, wherein a guide eyelet is positioned on said frame structure and isadapted to guide wire dispensed from a wire reel.
 3. A wire cart as inclaim 1, wherein said wheels are positioned on a wheel support memberhaving a horizontal front portion connected to said frame and anupward-turned back portion adapted to support said wheels off the groundwhen the cart is in a vertical position.
 4. A wire cart as in claim 1,wherein a handle is positioned on said frame for moving said cart.
 5. Awire cart as in claim 1, wherein said center hub of the bottom basemember has a circular opening in the center thereof, said openingincluding a vertical groove extending inwardly from the top of the hub,and a horizontal groove communicating with the vertical groovepositioned below the top of the circular opening, having a diametergreater than said opening; and, wherein said top guide member has acircular, elongated, center hub positioned on the bottom portion of theguide member, adapted for placement in the top of the opening in thebase hub, said elongated hub having a shoulder extension positionedthereon, said shoulder extension adapted to engage both the verticalgroove and the horizontal groove of the bottom base hub and todetachably connect the respective circular member by placement of thetop guide hub within the bottom support hub and to rotatably connect thehubs.
 6. A wire cart as in claim 1, wherein said bottom, circular memberand top, circular member comprise a spoked wheel.
 7. A wire cart as inclaim 1, wherein said circular base and guide member are of equaldiameters.